‘The Imperfects’ Netflix Series Review - Perfectly Bingeable

If you are suffering from Marvel fatigue or hate the CGI in those movies, watch The Imperfects on Netflix. The Boys Season 4 will take its time, and DC projects are being delayed or canceled. It's better to be in the company of a banshee, a succubus, and a chupacabra. They are Tilda (Morgan Taylor Campbell), the one with hyperacusis aka super hearing; Abbi (Rhianna Jagpal), who can control you with her pheromones aka seductive scent, and Juan (Iñaki Godoy), respectively. These three were part of a wellness program that did some experiments on them. Of course, it all went awry, giving people who were part of the program superpowers. Tilda, Abby, and Juan want to keep their powers hidden, so they take pills prescribed by Dr. Alex Sarkov (Rhys Nicholson). But one day, Alex goes missing, and with no pills in sight, Tilda, Abby, and Juan have to live with their superhuman abilities. In short, The Imperfects is about the trio finding Alex and getting cured of their extraordinary skills.

 
Obviously, the three of them don't see their skills as "extraordinary" or "worthwhile." Hence, they want to get rid of it. Tilda is tired of hearing noises (she puts on noise cancellation headphones), Abbi is horrified of her seductive powers, as is evident from the scene where two interviewers fight over her, and Juan is freaked out that in his chupacabra form, he devours humans and animals. We all dream of wanting superpowers, don't we? Who wouldn't like the strength to lift a bus with one hand or defeat multiple enemies without breaking a sweat or be immune to physical injuries like being hit by bullets? The characters in The Imperfects do not consider their capabilities advantageous. At least, at first. Because once they land in hot water, they rescue each other and themselves through their superpowers. But that never translates to, "Wow, I want to keep my insane abilities permanently!" Not for everyone (except for one character).

The series is well-made and has enough surprises to help you binge-watch the whole thing in a single sitting. I absolutely enjoyed the sense of humor. When a doctor cuts and examines a dead body, she exclaims, "That's my science!" During a little girl's birthday party, a character talks about Juan having burgers while he - as chupacabra - eats a man alive. Some funny scenes are repeated with different characters or in a different context. For instance, a character named Doug (Max Lloyd-Jones) dies multiple times because of resurrection (his head eagerly attaches itself to the body when the two are placed in proximity). This becomes a recurring sight in the series as the characters return to life after being killed. There is a scene where Juan plays a monster hunting game with his niece, and in episode 7, the characters do monster hunting.

The makers make sure to inform us that they are hardcore movie buffs. Tilda says, "What's in the box?" which is a reference to the line in Seven. Later in the series, she assures Abbi "there will be blood," which is the name of a Paul Thomas Anderson film. You even hear the theme from Star Wars at one point. Oh, how can you forget Juan's girlfriend, Darcy (Junnicia Lagoutin), and her love for chupacabra and other similar monsters? (The connection to Beauty and the Beast is obvious).

The Imperfects oozes coolness. The framing is cool, the camerawork is cool, and the transitions are cool. We smoothly glide from scene to scene and episode to episode without a jarring halt. The series does not merely exhibit an empty style. There is meat in here. When Juan notices comic book posters in his brother Alejandro's (Diego Stredel) house, you hear the words that remain unspoken by his brother, "You might have not frequently visited us or been in touch, but I still care about you and your work." Juan gets shot at one point, and when he meets Tilda again after a while, you notice how she leans forward as if wanting to hug him but also resisting the urge to become excessively sentimental. Juan, Abbi, and Tilda love one another, and you love them because they are messy, flawed, and adorable. You grin when Abbi and Tilda squeeze Juan's cheeks and call him "Chupi." You really desire to be in this world with these people.

The real villains in The Imperfects are scientists and their science. If you think about it, mad scientists are usually the real problem in a superhero adventure. They invent things because they can and consider themselves gods. In their crazy zeal to come up with new ideas and inventions, they create weapons of mass destruction. In The Imperfects, scientists come wearing different hats: Protector, destroyer, friend, and foe. By the end, one of them (or shall I say two?) becomes a mastermind running a powerful organization.

The fate of the characters remains imperfect for the purpose of a second season. I, for one, cannot wait to dive back into this world. 

Final Score – [8.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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